WEST ALABAMA THURSDAY BRIEFING
Thursday, June 15th, 2023, will be another potentially stormy day across West Alabama. As a matter of fact, rain and thunderstorm activity are possible through the coming weekend and into mid-week next week.
Today, a Flood Watch remains in effect through this afternoon where storms will be repeatedly moving over areas already saturated from earlier rainfall. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed all of West Alabama north of Demopolis in a Slight (1 in 5) Risk area for potential damaging winds and hail. South of Demopolis there is a Slight (2 in 5) Risk area for potential damaging winds to 60mph and large hail.
Severe weather possibilities will hang around Friday afternoon and evening as the SPC has painted northeast Tuscaloosa County, northern Lamar, most of Fayette and all of Walker counties in a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk area. The remainder of West Alabama to the southwest of a line from Vernon in Lamar County to Brookwood in Tuscaloosa County to West Blocton in Bibb County is in a Slight (2 in 5) Risk area for damaging winds to 60mph and large hail.
There will be rain and thunderstorm activity possible each day through Wednesday of next week according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
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Topping the News:
Numerous West Alabama power customers remain without power this morning in Bibb, Greene, Hale, Marengo and Perry Counties. In Greene County the outages at water wells and tanks in the City of Eutaw have prompted officials to request customers to limit their water usage until power can be restored.
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70mph winds blowing thru Eutaw destroyed two homes and entrapped 3 people in one of them for a short time Wednesday afternoon. Residents there say it seems the Greene County town gets hit every time there is severe weather. There was one minor injury in Eutaw.
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More than 50 trees were felled by 70mph winds near Sawyerville. Hale County EMA reports two motorists were injured when they collided with trees blocking a road; one of the injuries was serious. Another injuring occurred when a person clearing debris from a roadway was struck by a vehicle.
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Alabama Senior U-S Senator Tommy Tuberville is proposing a cap on federal student loans for graduate schools in an effort to rein in rising tuition costs. Serving on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Tuberville introduced the Graduate Opportunity and Affordable Loans (GOAL) Act. Tuberville claims his bill will force schools to compete based on affordability, thus fostering an environment where costs can be reduced. UA has announced there will be no tuition increase the coming school year.
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Father’s Day is Sunday and a recent study by the personal finance website Wallet Hub finds Alabama is the 7th worst state for working dads. We rank 48th in male life expectancy, 37th in uninsured males, 37th in number of hours working per day, 36th in poverty and 48th in male physically activity.
In Sports:
The Alabama baseball team may have gained a new head coach, but it has lost one of its record setting starts to the transfer portal. According to D1Baseball, freshman Colby Shelton will leave the Crimson Tide looking for greener pastures. Shelton set the Alabama home run record finishing with 25 on the season.
The magazine is also reporting that junior Bryce Eblin, who missed about a month of the past season with an undisclosed injury, will also leave the team.
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The Southeastern Conference has revealed the 2024 conference schedule that includes soon to be new members Oklahoma and Texas. The Tide plays the Longhorns in Tuscaloosa in a non-conference game but will not face UT in 2024.
Alabama's home schedule includes Auburn, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina. On the road they will take on Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The 2024 slate also includes a challenging road trip to Wisconsin.
Days and gametimes will be announced at a later date.
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Have a dry and safe Thursday!
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